A latecomer to public broadcasting, Elaine Cha preferred to work behind the scenes. But with some encouragement, she decided she was ready to take the microphone as host of STL Public Radio's daily "St. Louis on Air" interview show.

Elaine explains why she brought out her on-air voice. She'll also look at how STL Public Radio has covered the tornado that blasted St. Louis in May - and the total solar eclipse that captivated the city last year.

This week, KQED senior editor Rachael Myrow reveals how she creates gripping "driveway moments" on public radio.

Public media consultants Michelle Faust-Raghavan and Alisa Barba show where public radio is falling short.

And KRVS GM Cheryl Devall has an update on how her Cajun and blues public radio station in Louisiana is shoring up its budget now that Congress has erased public broadcasting dollars.

In her 8th grade science class, Andrea Kissack was too squeamish to dissect a frog. In time, she overcame the "yecch!" to become a science reporter - and the editor in charge of NPR's Science Desk.

Andrea looks back at her time as NPR's chief science editor - and explains how the network "reinvented" science reporting to cover the COVID-19 pandemic.

KTOO managing editor Claire Stremple is shepherding her team of four reporters in Juneau through public radio's biggest crisis in 50 years: the move by Congress to erase $1.2 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Claire talks about covering news in Alaska, why public radio is so important to her state - and how she held her reporters together after the vote to end federal support for public broadcasting.

For more than two decades, Gail Eichenthal was LA's voice for classical music on public radio powerhouse KUSC - and for news on commercial all-news giant KNX. She returned to KUSC 20 years ago - and now works behind the scene to bring classical music to new listeners.

Gail talks about her love of classical music and rock 'n roll, her time anchoring the live KNX broadcasts of the OJ trial, and what's great - and not so great - about the famed Hollywood Bowl.

Former NPR editor Alisa Barba says public media can help save local news - but only if it starts listening to the people it wants to serve. That means changing the decades-old way local public radio covers news.

Alisa talks about convincing public radio newsrooms that change is good - and needs to happen fast.

Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Dubai, Malaysia, back to Dubai - and then one more stamp on reporter Yusra Farzan's passport: Los Angeles to join LAist 89.3. She brought with her a global view of news, her Muslim identity - and at least 100 fashionable hijabs.

We'll talk with Yusra about her life in four different Asian countries, choosing journalism over the career in science her parents preferred, and how she selects which of her many hijabs to wear - a collection she jokes is a "real problem."

Public radio news stations often air a daily program all about the local community. On Seattle's KUOW, it's "SoundSide" - with Seattle native Libby Denkmann as host. Back in her college days, Libby wanted to be an international diplomat - until she sat behind a microphone at a summer news radio job.

We'll talk with Libby about how radio grabbed her, and how her worst moment on air went viral - in a good way.